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Christmas

Ideally, I would have had this post up a week ago so you could actually make these cookies
for various holiday festivities. But while I intended to have all my Christmas t's crossed and i's dotted a few
weeks ago, leaving only cookies to worry about this past week, I'll admit I've
been wrapping, cleaning, and baking right up until pretty much now. So, while it's unlikely this post will do you
much good immediately, it is an opportunity for me to pop in and wish you a
very merry Christmas. I wrote this in our Christmas letter to friends and family this year, and it's true: "Christ arrived with purpose. By his death on the cross he made a way for a world of broken, rebellious people to be right before God again. Without this willing sacrifice, we'd stand condemned before God and still lost in our sin. Without the birth, death, and resurrection of the Holy Son of God, we'd be without hope. I'm so thankful that Jesus came. Because He did, we have so much to celebrate at Christmas."

Of the Christmas CDs we've added to our collection this year, I'm particularly loving Andrew Peterson's Behold the Lamb of God. You can listen to the whole album here. I think While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks is my favorite, simple and eloquent in its retelling of the Christmas story...

While shepherds watched their flocks by night,All seated on the groundThe angel of the Lord came down,And glory shone around

"Fear not!" said he; for mighty dreadHad seized their troubled minds"Glad tidings of great joy I bringTo you and all mankind

To you in David's house this dayIs born of David's lineThe Savior who is Christ the LordAnd this shall be the sign:

The heavenly babe you there shall findto human view displayedAll meanly wrapped in swaddling bandsAnd in a manger laid"

Hallelujah, HallelujahHallelujah, Christ is bornHallelujah, HallelujahHallelujah, Christ is born

"All glory be to God on highAnd to the earth be peaceGood will henceforth from God to manBegin and never cease"

On my daughter’s birthday a few weeks ago we put together a little gingerbread house. Since I think all the
enjoyment comes from decorating it, taste wasn’t the primary concern. I took the easy route and bought a kit. It came
out cute as a button, but the spicy smell just about drove my daughter crazy. She wanted to eat it so bad. I promised to make a more appetizing ginger
treat soon, and kept my word with some gingersnaps. While I prefer a soft and chewy ginger cookie,
hubby insists gingersnaps are meant to snap, so I purposefully sought out a recipe that guaranteed a “thin, crisp, crinkly topped gingersnap.” I might be a convert. They come together in a snap, too.

Gingersnaps (from The
Fannie Farmer Baking Book)

¾ c. vegetable
shortening

1 c. sugar, plus
extra to roll the cookies in

1 egg

¼ c. molasses

2 c. flour

2 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 T. powdered ginger

1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350
degrees F and grease some cookie sheets or line with parchment.

Beat shortening and 1
c. sugar together. Add egg, and beat
until light and fluffy, then add the molasses.
Stir together the flour, soda, salt, ginger, and cinnamon, and add it to
the shortening mixture, beating until smooth and blended.

Roll 1” balls of the
dough in sugar. Place 2” apart on
prepared cookie sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies have
spread and the tops have cracked. Remove
from sheets and cool completely.

Gather 'round, remember nowHow creation held its breathHow it let out a sighAnd it filled up the sky with the angelsSon of God, Son of Man

So sing out with joy for the brave little boyWho was God, but he made himself nothingWell he gave up his pride and he came here to dieLike a manTherefore God exalted himTo the place of highest praisesAnd he gave him a name above every nameThat at the very name of Jesus, Son of God

We would sing out with joy for the brave little boyWho was God, but he made himself nothing...

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